About Kruszewski Family Tree
With genealogy, you never run out of new things to learn! As you progress in your research, you will learn more about your ancestors.
For many people, researching Family History means tracing members of a family, showing the relationships among them, recording their family stories, collecting their treasured photos and documents, and sharing all that with other family members.
Genealogy, on the other hand, is often considered to be a more structured activity that incorporates standard ways of recording information, rigorous methods for assessing evidence, an academic component providing formal learning, and professional accreditation. Genealogists attend conferences; publish books and articles; design and maintain family history websites. Some also contribute to other disciplines such as medicine, genetics and history.
Begin your research with yourself and work backwards. Doing this helps to avoid the possibility of documenting people who are not your ancestors.
Many folks work on whatever branch of their family they find easiest and, when they hit a brick wall, they switch to another branch. Some people focus on the paternal (father's) side of a family which is often easier because the last name usually does not vary when traced back in time. The maternal (mother's) side of a family is more difficult because the maiden names of women who took their husband's surnames are not often known. Some researchers decide to follow a family surname and its variants in a One-Name Study. Others may concentrate on a particular ethnicity that occurs in their family.
If you document blood relatives plus spouses, extend your research one step further to find the names of the parents and siblings of the spouse. This information can be useful when collaborating with other researchers to establish links between families.
Recording information about extended families means documenting persons who are part of your family through:
•marriage only (in-laws)
•adoption, fostering or guardianship (formal or informal)
•married or unmarried unions (including same-sex partnerships); •"honorary" family membership (such as "Aunt Jessie" who was a close family friend). Most important: choose a strategy that suits your interest and brings satisfaction.
Tracing ancestors and descendants is the most popular research method. Researching ancestors means you work back in time from a given person. Researching descendants means you work forward in time from a given person. You will soon discover that working backward and working forward are both needed.
Start with yourself and go back in time, tracing your ancestors from generation to generation by compiling names and the dates of births, marriages and deaths found in various information sources. Your objective is to trace your family's history as far back as possible. The most helpful sources for doing this are birth, marriage and death records, immigration and citizenship documents, census returns, and military and land records.
Tracing ancestors and descendants is the most popular research method. Researching ancestors means you work back in time from a given person. Researching descendants means you work forward in time from a given person. You will soon discover that working backward and working forward are both needed.
Start with yourself and go back in time, tracing your ancestors from generation to generation by compiling names and the dates of births, marriages and deaths found in various information sources. Your objective is to trace your family's history as far back as possible. The most helpful sources for doing this are birth, marriage and death records, immigration and citizenship documents, census returns, and military and land records.
This method has two approaches:
The direct-line ancestry that draws a connection between the person and his or her ancestors with the same family name.
The pedigree chart that traces all the male and female ancestors, resulting in a multitude of direct lines. For reasons of efficiency, genealogists use the Stradonitz Method that attaches a different sequential number to each ancestor.
Unless you are documenting only direct-line ancestors (your father and mother, and all earlier fathers and mothers), you will also record aunts and uncles and cousins, and their marriages and children.
Do not neglect to go "sideways" if you get stuck. Researching more about a spouse or sibling of an ancestor provides clues to more information about that ancestor.
One-Name Study
A One-Name Study is a formal investigation and documentation of all occurrences of one surname and its variants, whenever and wherever those occurred.
The beginning genealogist generally does not set out to do a one-name study. If, however, you have a rare name you are attempting to document fully, or if you have worked at genealogy for a while and wish to enlarge your field of research, then a one-name study may be for you.
A complete explanation of this type of genealogical research is found on the website Guild of One- Name Studies. Read more about what is involved and look at a few documented one-name studies before choosing this type of research. Even if you are not doing a one-name study, you could exchange information with researchers who are working on one-name studies. The principles are the same; only the focus differs.
Canada's experience with diversity distinguishes it from most other countries. Its 30 million inhabitants reflect a cultural, ethnic and linguistic makeup found nowhere else on earth. We all belong to an ethnic group. As you begin to research your family, you will find that the most common resources in North America are for people having an English-speaking or a French-speaking ancestral origin.
But if you belong to neither of these groups, you should check Ethnic Groups to learn about resources that will help you.
Join a genealogical society that is specific to your ethnic group or place of origin. Their members will help you find the best approach for your research. Their activities, programs, resources and library materials will all be of value to you as you learn more about the backgrounds of your ancestors. If there is not a society in your area, you might find one in another state or province or even another country that offers services to members from a distance.
Regardless of your ethnic origin, the basics of genealogical research still apply!
Finding information is the basis of genealogical research. You will begin with yourself and your own family, talking to relatives and noting details they provide.
Today, most people turn to the Internet first. The Internet is a wonderful tool that just keeps getting better for genealogists. Used appropriately, it can be a great starting place … but it is only a start. NOT all information is on the Internet.
Libraries and archives are the traditional places of research for genealogists and most have websites with online tools and databases.
Joining a genealogy society is one of the best ways for the beginner to become familiar with genealogical research.
The Internet has become one of the most valuable tools for genealogists and is the first information source used by most beginners.
You can use it to find information on a surname, a place, or a subject. Here are just a few examples:
•On your ancestor's attestation form from his First World War personnel record, it indicates that he previously served in the 1st Oxfordshire. Search the Internet for information about that regiment using "1st Oxfordshire" as your search term.
•On your ancestor's death record, the ink is so faint that the place of birth is difficult to read. You're not sure if it's Rasteco or Rustico. Search using the words Rasteco Canada and then Rustico Canada, and you will quickly discover that Rustico is a place in Prince Edward Island. •Your ancestor was born in Ukraine. Search using the words Ukraine genealogy to find sites to start your research.
•You want to find out if other researchers are working on the same surname as you. Try searching using terms such as "Blasier family" or separate words such as Blasier genealogy. In the years since the Internet began, search engines have come and gone. One of the most popular search engine is Google. However, consider other search engine as they may index resources in a different way.
Search engines find web pages across the Internet, but they do not search inside online databases. This means you must search within each database separately, using its local search engine. Some websites offer federated searching covering many databases. Do not assume that you are searching all databases available on a website with one search. Read the instructions or help files to determine exactly what you are searching and how to interpret the results obtained.
Most libraries, archives, government departments, genealogical and historical societies maintain websites. Many personal websites share indexes, family trees or other material related to a particular family or area of interest. Some websites serve as portals or gateways to information on particular topics.
Learn to recognize authoritative information provided by societies, libraries, archives or government agencies. Be more cautious with information provided on personal websites; sometimes you cannot determine how thorough the research was, or what sources were used. Subscribe to message boards, mailing lists, newsletters and genealogy blogs.
Many resources such as government records, church records, newspapers, and city directories have been made available for purchase online. Some commercial firms index and scan these resources independently; others have collaborative arrangements with national libraries and archives for scanning and indexing. Prices and subscription packages vary from one site to another.
As you gather information on your family, you will want to record it in some way.
You will print out or make copies of the information you find and make scans or collect images in digital format. Almost all genealogists use the computer to store and retrieve the information they have gathered. But manual methods of organization are still useful for dealing with the piles of paper you have gathered. Preserving precious family artifacts such as paper documents and photographs is important and must be done in an appropriate way to ensure their safekeeping for future generations.
And finally, as you organize your data, you must keep track of the sources you consult.
Follow these guidelines when copying materials:
•Record complete source information for the copy. If it is from a book, copy the pages that have the title and publishing information, and make sure you include the page number(s). •Record information about the repository (library, archives, etc.) in which you found the item. •When copying a page or file from the Internet, record the original filename (especially if you rename the file for your own purpose) and the complete Internet address. •Understand the copying permissions granted for each item you copy. It is NOT the case that everything on the Internet is free to use. Copyright and intellectual property rights apply on the Internet, just as they do for print and other materials.
Follow these guidelines when copying materials:
•Record complete source information for the copy. If it is from a book, copy the pages that have the title and publishing information, and make sure you include the page number(s). •Record information about the repository (library, archives, etc.) in which you found the item. •When copying a page or file from the Internet, record the original filename (especially if you rename the file for your own purpose) and the complete Internet address. •Understand the copying permissions granted for each item you copy. It is NOT the case that everything on the Internet is free to use. Copyright and intellectual property rights apply on the Internet, just as they do for print and other materials.
Use a blank pedigree chart to record your family history details. Record your own information as person number one, your father as number two, your mother as three, your father's father as four, etc. Enter as many details as you know, such as full name, date and place of birth, marriage and death, even if that information is only approximate.
The family chart lets you record data about a specific single family. You can document the names of parents and children and, for each, their birth, marriage and death dates and places. As with pedigree charts, record what you know in the family group sheet.
Take copies of these charts with you as you visit a research centre. It will help you remember what you already have found, and will let consultants see what you know at a glance. They may provide you with sources to help you locate the missing details to fill in the gaps. Make sure to make copies of your most up-to-date charts for future research trips.
You will want to save the electronic data you find on the web. You should come up with a method of naming and storing files so that you can find them again easily.
One method that works is to use the directory and subdirectory capabilities of your computer. You can create a directory for the major branches of your family and then within that directory, subdirectories for the unique surnames you have in each branch. You may also create directories for images such as maps, subdivided by region or country.
Standardized file naming is useful. However you decide to name your electronic files, choose a method that works for you and be consistent. As you collect more and more data, well-structured files are easier to find and to browse through on your computer.
Many genealogy applications are available on the market today for most operating systems and the interfaces of many come in multiple languages. These software packages let you do the following:
•assemble and organize your family data;
•produce reports and charts; and
•exchange information and files with colleagues.
Many genealogy software packages have free trial versions that you can download. Start out with an application you are comfortable with. As your research progresses, you may wish to switch to a more robust application. This can be done as long as you have a software application that respects the genealogical data standard GEDCOM.
Whatever you do, BACK UP YOUR DATA!
Storing your family's valuable original documents, photographs and memorabilia is an important part of preserving your family history. Here are some basic facts:
Paper: Paper can last for three or four years or up to 500 years. This depends on the materials from which the paper was made and how acid those materials are. Newsprint is notoriously acid in content: everyone is familiar with newsprint "burning up" and turning yellow with age.
Photographs: Early black-and-white photos last longer than the modern colour photos, which have a propensity to change colour over time. Many genealogists now scan their family photographs and store the digital images on their computers, which they back up, of course.
Artifacts: Many families wish to preserve and store safely their memorabilia items such as games, toys, dolls, and paintings. Some museums and other institutions offer basic advice free of charge. The website of the Canadian Conservation Institute answers many questions on how to preserve your family's treasures.
It is one of the most important things a genealogist must do. It lets you do the following:
•return to the source where you got the information;
•preserve the details of what you used, when you cannot return to the source; •avoid checking the same source twice for the same information; •assess conflicting data by weighing the accuracy of different sources; and •provide exact information about your sources when you share information.
Most genealogists want to ensure that their work is preserved and, one hopes, continued by and accessible to others. There are several ways to preserve your research:
Write a family history to be shared with family members and genealogical societies. Such histories were often published.
Create a family website and share your genealogical data within the website. Several software applications are available that will extract standardized genealogy data from your genealogy database and create web pages for you.
Ensure that your research will be in good hands after you are gone.
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Getting Around There are several ways to browse the family tree. The Tree View graphically shows the relationship of selected person to their kin. The Family View shows the person you have selected in the center, with his/her photo on the left and notes on the right. Above are the father and mother and below are the children. The Ancestor Chart shows the person you have selected in the left, with the photograph above and children below. On the right are the parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. The Descendant Chart shows the person you have selected in the left, with the photograph and parents below. On the right are the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Do you know who your second cousins are? Try the Kinship Relationships Tool. Your site can generate various Reports for each name in your family tree. You can select a name from the list on the top-right menu bar.
In addition to the charts and reports you have Photo Albums, the Events list and the Relationships tool. Family photographs are organized in the Photo Index. Each Album's photographs are accompanied by a caption. To enlarge a photograph just click on it. Keep up with the family birthdays and anniversaries in the Events list. Birthdays and Anniversaries of living persons are listed by month. Want to know how you are related to anybody ? Check out the Relationships tool. |
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